Ex-champs lead Manny’s sparmates

MANILA, Philippines - Two former world champions are in the cast of Manny Pacquiao’s sparring partners as the Filipino challenger prepares for his bid to regain the WBO welterweight crown from defending titlist Timothy Bradley at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on April 12.

One is nicknamed Rated R and the other, 2 Pound. The three other sparmates rotated by trainer Freddie Roach also pack colorful monikers – Hammer Hands, Hackman and Speedy. The five-man gang was assembled to get Pacquiao ready for Bradley and so far, the sparmates are doing a good job.

It was Tuesday last week when former WBO lightwelterweight champion Kendall (Rated R) Holt went four rounds with Pacquiao at the new ground floor facility, the former laundromat, in Roach’s two-level Wild Card Gym on Vine Street in Hollywood. Holt, who floored Bradley twice before losing to the Desert Storm on points in 2009, is an alternate in the rotation, according to Roach’s chief assistant Marvin Somodio.

Last Saturday, Pacquiao took on former IBF superfeatherweight titleholder Steve (2 Pound) Forbes for four rounds and unbeaten teenager Julian (Hammer Hands) Rodriguez for another four rounds. Another undefeated fighter Lydell (Hackman) Rhodes was the first sparring partner engaged by Pacquiao and started working in General Santos City before the group left for Los Angeles two weeks ago. The fifth sparmate is veteran Roger (Speedy) Gonzalez.

Forbes, 37, is a slick stylist like Bradley. Writer Graham Houston said he’s “a good technician, (with a) good chin, not too much power, does a good, solid job as an all-around fighter, throws punches in good form (and) can land sharp punches.” What Forbes brings to the table is a wealth of experience. A five-time Golden Gloves amateur champion who began boxing at 10, he said, “I bring experience, I bring calm, being a professional, not getting too over excited, just going about my work as a workman does.” Forbes turned pro in 1996 and won his first 15 fights, just like Holt who made his debut in 2001 and similarly raced to a 15-0 record before tasting his first setback.

Forbes got his nickname “2 Pound” because he was born two months premature weighing only two pounds. He almost died as a baby and doctors said it was a miracle he survived with his heart and lungs almost shut down. Somehow, Forbes worked his way back to health and inspired by Evander Holyfield, discovered boxing as his path to greatness.

Forbes hasn’t fought since losing a majority 10-round decision to Venezuela’s Johan Perez in January last year. His record is 35-10, with 11 KOs. One of his victims is Filipino Ronnie Longakit who was stopped in five rounds in 2003. Forbes went the distance in bowing to Oscar de la Hoya and Andre Berto in a pair of 12-rounders.

Forbes has worked closely with the Mayweather family since he was 19 after moving to Las Vegas. He said he has sparred “hundreds of rounds” with Floyd Mayweather. “Floyd’s really technical, works hard,” said Forbes. “In the gym, he’ll do a 7-minute round then take a 10-second break and go back at it, he’s relentless. He doesn’t work like a multi-millionaire, he works like he’s the poorest of all. Floyd’s a precision puncher, tricky, he’s precise in choosing where he’ll hit you in different places, very smart and picks his shots. Manny swarms you. They’re both great fighters but very different in style. I appreciate being around both guys. You learn a lot from them.”

Forbes, who has done construction work and owned a commercial cleaning company to augment his income, was featured on ESPN’s “The Contender” and finished runner-up in the second season of the TV reality series in 2006. He won the vacant IBF 130-pound title in 2000 and relinquished the throne a year later after failing to make the weight for his second defense against David Santos. “I was a champion but nobody knew it,” once said Forbes quoted by Robert Mladinich.

Forbes is 5-7 1/2 with a 68-inch wingspan compared to Bradley who is 5-6 with a 69-inch wingspan. Holt is 5-9 with a 74-inch wingspan. The three fighters are known for their high skill level. Bradley is expected to box Pacquiao from long distance and use movement to stay away from trouble. Forbes and Holt are familiarizing Pacquiao with Bradley’s tendencies in their sparring sessions.

Holt adopted the moniker “Rated R” after Hasim Rahman described his knockout over Lennox Lewis as being “Rated R” in 2001. One of 11 children, Holt had a difficult childhood and went from one foster home to another. His mother was convicted of murder and his father was a child abuser. Holt began boxing at six but didn’t take the sport seriously until he was 16. Holt won three Golden Gloves amateur championships and stopped Ricardo Torres in a single round to claim the WBO lightwelterweight crown in Las Vegas in 2008.

Boxing expert Steve Farhood said Holt is “not an easy guy to fight, it’s rare that you see a fighter whose style is basically that of a boxer with so much movement who can also punch as well as he does with either hand.”

Rodriguez, 19, boasts a 3-0 record, with 2 KOs. Rhodes, 26, is 19-0, with 9 KOs. And Gonzalez, 35, has a 28-6 slate, with 18 KOs. Gonzalez’s victims include Filipino Allan Visayas who was stopped in four in 2007. He floored Cuba’s Yuriorkis Gamboa before losing and hasn’t fought since outpointing Andrew Cancio in September 2012.